DEATH STAINED LEAVES (Creepypasta AU)

WELCOME TO DURHAM

Your body shifted slightly as the bus hit yet another pothole, the twelfth one since it had left Portland. You snapped out of your daydream and ran a hand through your hair before adjusting the seatbelt, which had been digging into your neck for the past hour.

As you sunk back into your seat and finally released a breath that you hadn't even noticed you were holding, your gaze was drawn to the sun-bleached sign outside the window.

"Welcome To Durham".

Its letters seemed to be slowly decaying, much like the town itself that it welcomed.You felt your mind wander, taking in the familiar sight before you.It brought back memories you'd rather forget.

You were returning to your hometown after all these years, there remained that ominous feeling you thought you had left behind.Durham was always on your mind, even after you moved to Portland with Dad after Mom died, you couldn't seem to forget the mysterious disappearances or the horrendous murders of the town.

Growing up here, you were always attending funeral after funeral, the murders were getting more brutal and sickening each year and locals were becoming more and more desensitised with every passing year.

The endless string of unsolved missing children cases, some of which you had known personally were something you felt was ignored entirely.The town would do almost anything to ensure none of this was broadcasted.It was always a taboo subject.Attending school and seeing empty desks was nothing unusual, sadly.

Two hundred reports of children under 15 were made in the last year alone.Where could they have gone? It didn't make any sense.How was this still happening ten years later?

When you passed by all the boarded-up houses and missing posters as a teenager, you began to notice that Durham's population seemed to be swiftly dwindling. You had always been curious about this, wondering how the town could still exist with so much death surrounding it.

Your late mother always warned you against letting your curiosity get the best of you, yet you knew better. This was what convinced you to become a journalist, and thus, you decided to investigate and find out what Durham was hiding.You were determined to unravel at least some secrets. Law enforcement had long abandoned the cases, so you knew getting answers from them or the locals would be of no use.

As the bus drove through Durham, you noticed its emptiness.The town was now a silent, haunted shell.Nearly every store was closed, you would see the occasional pharmacy or pub that was open, although they, too, would undoubtedly shutter their doors to the world soon.It was a stark contrast to the atmosphere you had known before, with the streets previously filled with people, shops, and markets, all alive now dead.Now, it was as if you had entered a ghost town.

Finally, the bus came to a halt, and you stood up, placing a shaky hand on the handle of your duffel bag.

You felt anxiety and regret wash over you, causing your knees to feel weak. The urge to stay on the bus was something you considered, but you knew there was no going back now. Your knuckles turned white as you gripped the bag's handle tightly, attempting to gather yourself.

"Suck it up," you gritted out, forcing yourself to take a deep, calming breath. The town really did have that effect on you even if you had lived there your whole childhood, it still makes your blood run cold.

Gaining your composure, you stepped off the bus, mumbling a quick "thank you" to the sleazy middle-aged driver. Your lips formed a straight line as your eyes took in the surroundings.

The nearest bus stop, closest to your overpriced yet run-down Motel that would be your home for the duration of your stay, was in the middle of fucking nowhere. You had made many questionable decisions in your life, but this just might have been the worst one yet.